This invention relates to a refuse bin with tiltable lid, a typical but not exclusive use of which is in large community premises such as hospitals, and in places of intense pedestrian traffic such as railway stations, seaports and airports.
For such uses refuse bins are known comprising an outer container to be rested on the ground, a refuse container removably received in said outer container, and a swing lid which is hinged to the mouth of this latter and is opened by an operating pedal positioned at the base of the outer container, in a position distant from the position of the lid swing axis. In some cases the lid is opened by connection means interposed between the pedal and lid, and in others is opened by the refuse container itself which, following operation of the pedal, rises from the bottom of the outer container and pushes against the lower face of the lid.
Such known refuse bins have proved unsatisfactory for the following reasons.
They are particularly complicated and costly because of the presence of the two containers, the pedal and its accessories, and because of the need to provide seats for said pedal and accessories. They have also proved to be of relatively poor reliability or durability precisely because of said complexity.
The main object of the present invention is to provide a refuse bin with tiltable lid able to overcome the aforesaid drawbacks. Said object is attained by a refuse bin presenting the characteristics indicated in the claims.
It comprises a support member intended to be secured at a fixed point spaced from the ground, and an upperly open refuse container of virtually vertical longitudinal axis removably coupled to said support member on a transverse horizontal swing axis such as to enable the container to automatically occupy a predetermined substantially erect non-use position in which it is closed by a respective lid, the lid being hinged to said support member on a horizontal axis parallel to the preceding and being linked to the container in such a manner as to be opened and closed when said container swings about its swing axis in the direction in which it moves away from said substantially erect position, and in the opposite direction, respectively.
Preferably said swing axis is situated in the upper front region of the container such that the weight of this latter generates a straightening moment which forces it towards said substantially erect position.
The lid is opened by the intervention of the user, for example by resting a shoe against the lower front part of the container, whereas it is closed by said straightening moment.
The means providing said linkage between the lid and container are advantageously formed in such a manner as to enable the lid to assume a stable position of complete opening when the container is removed from its support, for example to be emptied.
All the objects of the invention are attained by virtue of the aforedescribed solution.
In this respect, firstly the proposed solution is particularly simple and economical, seeing that it comprises only a small number of elements connected together in a very simple manner for operational purposes, as will be seen.
It is also particularly reliable or durable by virtue of the said constructional simplicity.
The characteristics and constructional merits of the invention will be apparent from the ensuing detailed description given with reference to the figures of the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a particular preferred embodiment thereof by way of non-limiting example.